Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-06-19

sAGEsBERT eS PRsTEcTEoa-
Il hes besn many years since Brit
leo Prsnisr has uttered remarks s0ch
a. shoss uttered 10 regard 70 the Cana
di4n prOssstjvs saty By Lord Sslisbary
in the House Of Lords on Friday even
ina. A ne1ber bad inquired Whistler
he incrsased tariff placed en- iron and
steel b. The Canadian government hsd
received the aiteation Of tie govern
mens and Whistler il Vas interpreted -
evireiBe q spirit Of hostility toward the
mother county.
Any Premier since SIR Robert Peel
snnsunegd bis csnversien 10 the doc
tEine of free trade would have made
sash . question the occasion Of . pFo
i9Dgsd snlsQy Of the beauties Of free
trade and q bitter dsnuneia,ion Of the
fAllacies and absssditiss Of protection.
Salisbury. however, did nothing Of the
kind. He did not eaIoRizs free trade
DE did not dsn0anes protection. de
said nothing Of the error into which the
Dominion governments hsd faiIes. BE
had nothing to say Of the pFineiplss Of
voIisioai economy. He simply sssored
The Lords that the Canadian poliey vas
not due 20 any animus against RnGland.
He aided that the new dates weEs doe
10 IN increased protective feeling visible
10 every country. and that, thouEh the
Canadian idea that protection vas ben
ehciAl was probably decisive, It was
nevertheless sincere.
After carefully oosslderinR these
words, u is impossible TO deny thai
reaction In favor Of protection has be-
gun In Great Britain. Since Golden
and Bright made free trade the policy
Of the British government, the pFiuci-
pies witch they advocated have been
asospted By The British people
without doubt ssd without qaestion.
No intellleesl man has thought Of ques
tionine the assumption that protection
IL based npon falss principles Of politi-
cal economy and that free trade is the
infallibIe panaoea for all commercial
ills. any more than he has thoaght Of
questioning she prevalent belief that
tvo and two make four. Free trade has
been accepted - one Of the funda
mental principles Of all parties, and
every writer on political economy has
accepted 80 correct the reasoning which
leeds 10 the scknswlsdgment Of free
trade a. IN essential element of correct
ideas Of government. Great Britain
had apparently tuEned her back on pro
lection a. completely a. America has
turned her back On slavery.
Premier Salisbury. however, aokRoW-
lodges that an increased protective feel
ing IL visible In every country. This
must include Great Britain and is
nothing more nor less than an avowal
by the real head Of the British govern
menl that proteotionist reaction is in
progress. It 10 less than six months
since john Bright Confidently declared
that England might return TO protection
when the United States returned to
slavery, bat certainly not before. Now
a British Premier informs the House Of
Lords that protection ideas are growing
DOT only 10 Great Britain bus through
oui the world. Surely this must have
been a wonderful revelation to his
younger bearers, who have never heard
any doctrine other than that preached
By OobdsnAnd Bright.
But this Is not the most astonishing
portion Of SalisburS's remarks. Not
only did be acknowledge that the re-
aston was taking place, but ho added
that, though the Canadian idea that
protection is beneficial is sincere. 1t is
probably dslusive. Probably decisive"
10 q significant expression. II lord
Salisbury had announced that the earth
Vas probably Eound, bis hearers would
have been Justified in believing that be
had some doubt on the subject. Like
wise they are justified in believing that
be has some doubt ~ TO whether the
Canadian idea Of protection Is delusive.
The use OF the word probably" implies
not only q doubt, but usually a grave
doubt Il usually turns the mind from
the direct statement aud induces It to
contemplate the contrary.
Here. then, IL q British Premier who
not only allows 20 PASS unimproved an
opportunity TO deliver an Grafton on tie
beauties OF free trade, bat Who admits
that the protection feeling is growing
In all countries and even acknowledges
the existence OF a doubt - to whether
protection IL In reality based on false
theory Of government. This IL a long
step backward. II the reasoning Of
C5bden aud Bright Ia correct. The
nsIt step will probably be for British
eoveFnmeat to introduce 9 taria bill in
The Hsuss Of Commons.
TuK FeERTm CLAUAE.